Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 86: Returning the Favor in Kind

This holiday, Xu He had a rather pleasant time. After all, he had done well in the last monthly exam, so Tang Qian rewarded him by taking him and the others to the amusement park for a day. Of course, the ones who enjoyed it the most were the two little ones. Xu He himself was rather indifferent. He didn't particularly enjoy such activities, thinking them somewhat childish. In his view, instead of going out to play like this, it would be better to spend the time training and improving his shooting skills.

Now, he felt that sharpening his shooting was especially important. Zhuo Jun had said it well: by next season, he might still be the substitute forward for the team. That made Xu He eager to improve his shooting, hoping to gain a favorable position in the competition for the forward line next season.

Yes, after some consideration, Xu He had decided not to leave the team for the time being. He would wait and see how things developed. After all, the current season was not yet over—causing trouble at this point would only disrupt the team's stability and might even affect their performance in the final. If, because of this, they missed out on the championship, that would be a shame.

Perhaps that was also why Zhuo Jun had come to talk to him at this time. Xu He sighed to himself, “Zhuo Jun is really no ordinary character.”

Zhuo Jun had already started his psychological games for next Friday’s final. He really was quite formidable.

For now, Xu He kept these matters to himself, deciding to wait until after the season ended to consider them further. He also wanted to discuss things with Li Jie, to hear his thoughts.

But Xu He hadn’t expected that, come Monday, Zhu Ge would approach him directly.

Zhu Ge got straight to the point: “Xu He, are you thinking of leaving our team to join Class Sixteen’s soccer team?”

Xu He was stunned—what was going on? He hadn’t told anyone, so how did Zhu Ge know?

Soon enough, Xu He realized this must have come from Zhuo Jun. All Zhuo Jun needed to do was let the rumor slip; it didn’t matter who had actually said it.

Xu He felt helpless—he had fallen for Zhuo Jun’s ploy.

He gave a wry smile and said, “Captain, Zhuo Jun did come to see me, and he did invite me to join their team. He even said that if I went, I’d be their starting forward; staying here, I might still be a substitute.”

Xu He spoke frankly, laying all his cards on the table.

Hearing this, Zhu Ge was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Xu He to be so direct—this completely disrupted his plans and might even force a showdown between them.

Zhu Ge took a deep breath and thought to himself, “Zhuo Jun is truly formidable.”

After a long moment, Zhu Ge said, “Actually, I could tell you that you’ll be our starting forward next season. But…I really can’t lie to you! As it stands, next season, our main forwards will still be Zhang Zhen and Yang Xin…”

Zhu Ge was equally honest with Xu He.

Though he had already guessed as much, hearing it spelled out still left Xu He feeling disappointed. He didn’t think his performance this season was any worse than Yang Xin or Zhang Zhen’s—why should he have to be the substitute and not someone else?

Xu He still felt a bit indignant. But at the same time, he could understand Zhu Ge’s reasoning.

Now, Xu He had to seriously consider Zhuo Jun’s offer: should he leave and join a stronger team where he could be the starting forward, or stay and continue as a backup to Zhang Zhen and Yang Xin?

Xu He was torn.

To be honest, Zhu Ge didn’t want to see Xu He leave.

He immediately said, “Xu He, our team really does need you. Even if you’re not the main forward, you’ll still get plenty of playing time. You’re our second choice up front, and we often need to rely on our Plan B.”

Indeed, Zhu Ge truly hoped Xu He would stay.

Xu He pondered, then said, “Thank you, Captain, for not lying to me.”

That was something he admired about Zhu Ge.

Zhu Ge fixed his gaze on Xu He, and Xu He looked back at him. Then Xu He said, “Captain, I haven’t made up my mind yet. I need more time to think it over. But don’t worry, this won’t affect how I play in the final. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

Zhu Ge nodded slightly; he trusted Xu He.

Xu He continued, “As for whether I’ll leave, I’ll wait until after the final to decide. Right now, my only goal is to play well in the final and win the first-year soccer league title.”

Hearing this, Zhu Ge felt somewhat reassured and nodded firmly.

As long as it didn’t affect the final.

Still, he was uneasy—he didn’t want to lose Xu He. He had high hopes for him; Xu He had developed quickly and made a big contribution to the team this season. Sometimes, he even felt that Xu He’s contribution surpassed Yang Xin’s, maybe even Zhang Zhen’s.

By rights, Xu He deserved a starting spot, but…

Zhu Ge still chose to trust Zhang Zhen and Yang Xin.

He felt a little guilty toward Xu He and said, “You’re right to focus on the final. Let’s talk about the rest afterward. Personally, though, I really hope you stay—our Class Ten soccer team needs you.”

Xu He gave a small smile and thanked him.

Then they parted ways.

Soon after, the rest of the Class Ten soccer team came over one after another, asking Xu He if he really intended to leave for Class Sixteen’s team.

Clearly, the news had spread everywhere.

Everyone on the team knew about Class Sixteen’s attempt to recruit Xu He and came to satisfy their curiosity—did he really plan to switch teams?

Yang Xin, for his part, didn’t care. He remained focused on his training and ignored Xu He.

Zhang Zhen came over directly and asked, “Are you really leaving?”

To be honest, Xu He’s feelings toward Zhang Zhen were complicated. Zhang Zhen had helped him a lot, even selflessly aiding him in improving his shooting. By rights, he shouldn’t be competing with Zhang Zhen for a spot, but reality was what it was.

Maybe leaving would be the best choice. That way, he wouldn’t hurt Zhang Zhen.

Xu He was already leaning toward leaving; he didn’t want to compete for the position of someone who had helped him.

He didn’t lie to Zhang Zhen and said, “I haven’t decided yet, and I’m not going to think about it now. I’ll wait until after the final.”

Zhang Zhen nodded slightly and said, “That’s the right approach.”

Watching Zhang Zhen walk away, Xu He felt a pang of guilt. After all, Zhang Zhen had helped him selflessly, and now he was considering taking his spot—it felt ungrateful.

His inclination to leave grew stronger.

“Feeling bad about taking Zhang Zhen’s place?” Suddenly, Li Jie appeared at Xu He’s side.

Xu He didn’t even need to look to know it was him. “Yeah, a little bit,” he admitted.

Li Jie said bluntly, “If that’s really how you feel, you’re overthinking it. Zhang Zhen wouldn’t see it that way. In professional terms, he’s more professional than you think. This kind of thing is common in professional football—you don’t need to take it so hard. In competitive sports, the capable rise and the less capable make way.”

Xu He stared at Li Jie—what he said made a lot of sense.

He retorted, “Where did you pick up lines like that? Doesn’t sound like something you’d say!”

Li Jie shot him a look. “Don’t underestimate people, all right?”

Xu He raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling wryly.

Suddenly, Xu He asked, “Old Li, did Zhuo Jun approach you?”

He was genuinely curious and wanted to know what Li Jie thought.

Li Jie glanced at him and shook his head. “He didn’t. Why do you ask?”

Xu He told Li Jie about Zhuo Jun’s pitch. Li Jie’s eyes narrowed; Zhuo Jun really knew what he was doing—he was well-prepared.

“He’s got some skill, that Zhuo Jun,” Li Jie remarked.

Xu He smiled helplessly; anyone who could lead Class Sixteen to the final was definitely capable.

He looked at Li Jie. “So, are you tempted?”

Li Jie shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure. All this is a headache. Let’s not think about it for now. The main thing is to focus on the coming final.”

After a season of hard work, their goal was the championship. Now that it was within reach, they had to give it their all—no one wanted to stumble at the last hurdle. Everyone threw themselves into training, clearing their minds of distractions.

Xu He and Li Jie trained diligently, both awaiting the final’s arrival.

Meanwhile, Zhu Ge was fuming, muttering, “Damn it, I hadn’t even started, and you’re already poaching my players, Zhuo Jun! You’re something else!”

Zhu Ge was annoyed; he’d been hoping to bring Zhuo Jun to their team, but now Zhuo Jun had beaten him to the punch, trying to steal his players first—it was exasperating.

“Just you wait, Zhuo Jun—this league championship will be ours, and you’ll see what we’re made of.” Zhu Ge was determined to teach them a lesson.

During training, Mu Yang’s requirements became increasingly strict. Everyone could feel the rising expectations, and if they didn’t give their full effort, they’d be criticized.

Meanwhile, Zhu Ge said to Mu Yang, “Train everyone well. I’m going to talk to Zhuo Jun, see if he’s interested in joining our team.”

Zhu Ge was ready to use the classic strategy of “fighting fire with fire”—to counter Zhuo Jun’s poaching with some of his own.

Who knew what expression Zhuo Jun would have when faced with this? Would he remember how he’d tried to poach Xu He?

That remained to be seen.

Xu He and the rest continued to train hard, all looking forward to the final.

At the same time, Xu He was a bit worried about Lin Xuefeng. It was said that after being called home last Friday, Lin Xuefeng hadn’t returned to school. According to his classmates, he’d taken a long leave, and they weren’t sure when he’d be back. This made Xu He and the others anxious; Lin Xuefeng was crucial to their team, and without him, the match would be much tougher.

The whole team hoped Lin Xuefeng would return soon, so they’d feel more confident about winning the final. Many of the players even went to ask their captain, Zhu Ge, about Lin Xuefeng’s situation, but even he didn’t know the details. All they could do was hope and pray that Lin Xuefeng would be back in time for the final.